‘MS Dhoni’s hands are quicker than a pickpocket's’ – Ravi Shastri hails CSK captain’s wicketkeeping skills

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni is indeed one of the finest cricketers ever and his numbers speak volumes of his prowess. Besides being a dashing batter and a phenomenal captain, Dhoni is also a force to reckon with behind the stumps. The wicketkeeper possesses lightning-fast hands which allow him to effect stumpings precisely. Although his glovework can be called unorthodox, nothing can deny that he has been mighty effective.

Notably, Dhoni retired from international cricket last year, having played his last international match against New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup last year. However, he continued to ply his trade in IPL. Although he hasn’t done much talking with the bat after Team India retirement, Dhoni continued to torment batters behind the stumps.

Heaping praises on Dhoni’s keeping skills, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri said the veteran’s unorthodox technique isn’t easy to replicate. Shastri even claimed that Dhoni’s hands are quicker than a pickpocket’s.

What made MS Dhoni so successful were his splendid hands: Ravi Shastri

“MS is an unorthodox cricketer. His technique, in front of and behind the stumps, is not easily replicable. My suggestion to youngsters is don’t try imitating him unless it comes naturally. What made him so successful were his splendid hands. They were quicker than a pickpocket’s,” Shastri wrote on Dhoni in his new book Star Gazer.

“No other wicketkeeper, at least in the era MS has played, was that fast. He was the best in the world for a long while, and in white-ball cricket by a long distance,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dhoni also possesses a sharp cricket mind. He takes précised decisions more often than not with his ability to read the situation quickly. The Ranchi-born cricketer has also been brilliant with his Decision Review System (DRS) calls. Highlighting the same, Shastri hailed Dhoni’s sharp observation skills.

“MS was sharp in his observation of whatever was happening on the field, and uncanny when it came to taking decisions based on ‘reading’ the trend of play. This quality of his went unnoticed simply because he made such few mistakes,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Dhoni is currently gearing up for the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 which gets underway on September 19. Under him, Chennai Super Kings did exceptionally well in the first half and they would like to extend their purple patch.